The Never Normal

Raymond:  97X. Bam!  The future of rock ‘n’ roll.   
97X. Bam!  The future of rock ‘n’ roll.  
97X, Bam!  The future of rock ‘n’ roll.

~ Raymond Babbitt in Rainman

Oh, my sweet, precious little boy.  What a wonder you are!

This is the third Thanksgiving I’ve described in this blog.  Hard to believe..  The first was awful – so awful, in fact, that just days later I would check myself into a mental health facility, the second was fun (and was paired with two Guster shows, so how could one go wrong?), and yesterday, Thanksgiving 2012, which was easy-wonderful.

Andy was nice enough to drive Jonah up to Grandma’s house, and I met them there.  My boo came crashing through the front door, shrieking with happiness.  We ate turkey sandwiches; Jonah ate one and a hot dog as well, and chips, and bacon, and “white ice cream.”  He asked for train and we drove him there even though we knew Thanksgiving trains are few and far between.  All the way there my mom sat in the backseat with Jonah, but he kept asking mama in the backseat?  And my mother told him, “yes, sweetheart, as soon as we stop for the train.”  It made me feel good; usually he wants grandma in the backseat.

He also wanted music, and daddy turned up this station that he and Jonah enjoy: 92.3 FLY.  After one of the songs they announced the call station with snazzy-jingle-music and the deep voice and all.  Jonah immediately parroted it, really well, too, if I don’t say so myself.  92.3 – WFLY!  92.3 – WFLY!  92.3 – WFLY!  None of us could help laughing, which only encouraged him.  Giggling, he kept at it for a while, just like Rainman.

So there was no train, but I got to sit in the backseat with my Boo – and instead of telling me move (which means get as far away from me as possible and do not even look at me), he asked for hugs.  Over and over again he wanted hugs.  Bear hugs, he even said.  And so I reveled in this, moved close to him, wrapped my arms around him, and hugged tight, raining kisses on his Beatle-length hair.  More bear hug?  he pleaded, looking up at me sweetly.  Yes, Boo, I replied, hugging him closer, tighter, until it felt like we were one.  Oh thank you, I said silently.  Thank you.

And this week I get to see him again – tomorrow, which I hope will be as beautiful as today – and Jonah as lovey.

daddy-hugs

Before Andy and Jonah left, they came inside to get their share of a Thanksgiving dinner my mom had made just for the few of us.  So she had a bag with all their food in it, and Jonah and Andy were saying goodbye, when Jonah opened the freezer, snagged the rest of the bacon, put it into the bag of food, then looked up at us all as if to say “k, let’s go.”  Of course grandma let him take the bacon.

Mom and I had coffee afterwards and laughed at Boo’s adorable little ways.  We both had tears behind our laughter, but they were mostly good, happy, thankful tears.

We’ve plenty to give thanks for, that’s for sure.